Renaming English: does the world language need a new name?

Stewart Riddle, University of Southern Queensland

With English rapidly becoming a ‘global’ language, should we begin to call it something different? Photo: Wayne Taylor

English is rapidly becoming a lingua franca in international communication for commerce and trade, education, science, international relations and tourism.

It is the fastest growing language in the world, with more people speaking English than ever before. School children in India and China are learning English at a staggering rate as their countries emphasise the importance of English as a ticket to participating in the global economy.

For example, the rise of English in China is unprecedented, and has been likened to a mania, with school children as young as seven learning to speak English.

So why then do we continue to link this evolving internationalising language with a small island in Europe that once upon a time controlled the world?

Perhaps it is about time we got rid of the “English” and start calling it something else – international, standard or common language?

Not one, but many Englishes

It is important to understand that there is not one English language; there are many. In fact, in Australia we don’t even speak and write English. We actually use Standard Australian English, which is not the same English that you might find in the United Kingdom, the United States, India or China.

There are countless blends, pidgins, creoles and mixed English languages. At the same time that English is becoming the language of internationalisation, it is also becoming localised in different parts of the world as multiple world Englishes flourish.

A sociocultural perspective on language considers the impacts of regional dialects, national standards and conventions, slang, different pronunciations and the use of communication technologies such as mobile telephones, texting and email. Our use of English depends on the contexts, audiences and purposes we are using it for.

Spoken English differs from written English. There are different ways of using written English depending on the formality and genre of writing. Spelling, grammar and punctuation change depending on who is writing and for who is reading. English is an “open source” language, with hybrid forms appearing all over the globe as different peoples blend English together with other languages.

Some interesting points about English languages: there are more non-native speakers of English than native speakers; nearly four out of five English-speaking interactions happen between non-native speakers of English; most research is shared in English-language journals; English is the number one language used on internet sites; English is the language of international aviation; and most literature is published in English or translated from English into other languages.

Serious concerns with English as an international language

The rise of English comes with several concerns, including questions of cultural hegemony and postcolonial criticisms. While it is easy to shrug off such criticisms with the argument that English is necessary for social mobility, economic prosperity and education, there remain many unanswered questions around the social and cultural impacts of English as a global language.

For example, the use of English in the internationalisation of research and higher education comes at a cost to local knowledge and languages, as academics in places such as Japan, China, Germany and other parts of the world compete with scholars from the UK and USA to publish in high-ranking English-language research journals.

There is a real tragedy in the loss of language diversity as English takes over, placing other languages at risk of extinction. This has been acknowledged and efforts are being made to preserve indigenous languages in places such as Papua New Guinea, Brazil and Australia. However, is this enough? Are we destroying more than language through the rise of English as the international standard?

That said, there is some sadness in the idea that we might be the last generation of travellers who experience those amusing and sometimes awkward moments when attempting to order food or ask for directions in a country where everyone doesn’t speak English.

Stewart Riddle does not work for, consult to, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has no relevant affiliations.

57 comments

No, English does not need a new name. It already has one.

French is the official language in 29 countries but it is still called French. Arabic is the official language in 29 countries but it is still called Arabic. Spanish is the official language in 22 countries but it is still called Spanish. Portuguese is the official language in 9 countries but it is still called Portuguese. All have regional variations and dialects.

English is called English whatever the regional variation or dialect.

Commenter

Mary

Date and time

June 12, 2013, 10:03AM

English most certainly does not need to be renamed. What an absurd idea.There are two versions of English. Correct English (as per the Oxford) and the corrupted version that the Americans, in their supreme arrogance, try to inflict upon the rest of the world.Somewhere between these points there is what the pseudointellectuals of the looney left call Australian English. There is correct English, as per the Oxford. Everything else is incorrect.

Commenter

CarlT

Location

crazy old cat man

Date and time

June 12, 2013, 10:36AM

The last place on Earth to speak proper English is England, and not by any means by all the inhabitants. All the other countries' versions are versions of Americanish. with the possible exception of the Indian sub continent where English is still spoken well, but with an incomprehensible accent. John Cleese got it right with his 'Revocation of the American Declaration of Independence' ., viewable at http://www.stephenmalkmus.com/punbb/upload/viewtopic.php?id=3259

Commenter

Tacitus

Date and time

June 12, 2013, 11:45AM

Are you serious?

Commenter

J

Date and time

June 12, 2013, 11:01AM

And what makes English the "world language" anyway? The way the world is going, the prediction Joss Whedon made in his Firefly TV series will become true – the "universal basic" language is Chinese!

Commenter

The Realistic

Location

Brisbane

Date and time

June 12, 2013, 11:12AM

Western capitalism dictates that "English" is the international business language, hence the high take up rate. I work for a multi-national dealing with colleagues around the world. However the english used is a generic one, you still have to focus on what they mean by the words they use, resulting in email traffic for clarification at around 50% increase on the originating volume. For example in Aus we would comprehend "N.A." as Not Applicable where my European colleagues make it mean Not Available, similiar but not the same meaning!

Commenter

Slogans for Bogans

Location

Northside

Date and time

June 12, 2013, 12:14PM

good point

Commenter

Bob Menzies

Location

Beenleigh

Date and time

June 12, 2013, 12:25PM

Firefly is fiction. Did you actually read the article? In the real world, the Chinese believe they need to learn English.

English is the international language of business, trade and science. The default language for pilots and air traffic control in every country is English. The Chinese Journal of Geophysics is published in English. The Hitotsubashi Journal of Economics is published in English. The Asian Journal of Medical and Clinical Sciences is published in English.

On the other hand, French is the international language of diplomacy.

Commenter

Mike

Date and time

June 12, 2013, 12:32PM

And we're just starting to get a taste of China flexing its muscles, with the Chinese Ambassador to Thailand lambasting the Thais for not having enough people in tourism who speak Chinese. The Chinese want to speak their own language, and they're beginning to understand that they wield a lot of influence, not just numerically but also financially. The cockiness and arrogance of monolingual English speakers may be in for a bruising if the Chinese start insisting on things being done in accordance with their wishes.

Commenter

James from Brisbane

Date and time

June 12, 2013, 1:25PM

Chinese?

No such language. You mean Mandarin I assume. Even the Chinese don't all speak Chinese - there's many dialects with cantonese the lingua france of Hong Kong (admittedly a dialect of Mandarin).